This was the only cool brew coffee maker we tested that recommended a medium-fine grind instead of the typical rough grind, and although the filter was made of an extremely fine material, there was still some sediment in our cup. Still, the coffee was polished with a pleasant sweetness and acidity—but it was quite frail. Unlike most cool brew coffee makers, the Hario Mizudashi doesn’t make a concentrate for cool brew; it makes cool brew coffee that should be drunk black (or with a dash of cream, if that’s your preference). The instructions recommend brewing for eight hours in the refrigerator (less than every other machine we tested), and as we found, brewing in the refrigerator actually slows down the extraction. With a longer time and a darker roast (the instructions recommend a dim roast), we were able to get a more stalwart coffee. True coffee geeks may enjoy the trial and error that goes into getting the best coffee with Hario Mizudashi, but we think most users will end up frustrated — or worse, under-caffeinated.
Takeya Deluxe Cool Brew Coffee Maker
Even though he never made the best coffee, Takeya Deluxe Cold Brew Coffee Maker consistently produced a stout, creamy cool brew with good, balanced acidity. As one of our super testers said, “This is probably a good option for someone who doesn’t Love “cool brewed beverage, but likes the idea of having iced coffee at home.”
The Takeya makes a more concentrated cool brew than the Hario, although when used as directed, it’s not as concentrated as the cool brew from many other devices. We didn’t love it when diluted with water (the flavors became muted) and preferred it diluted with milk. Still, the Takeya is a great option for someone who wants a jug-style device and likes a powerful black iced coffee or a milky iced coffee that still has a solid coffee backbone.
Takeya has a very basic design with just two main parts: a slim plastic jug and a high filter insert. The entire system is so compact and lightweight that it’s effortless to take with you on the go (it’s also waterproof when properly closed).
Bruer Grey Cool Drip Coffee System
This Bruer Grey Cold Drip Coffee System It’s an steep glass dripper with an hourglass-shaped dripper modeled after a Kyoto-style coffee maker. The Bruer is best for coffee lovers who find learning how to operate a complicated up-to-date device exhilarating and want the absolute best cup of cool brew, no matter the price. If you really want to learn the intricate but artistic way of brewing coffee and can wait hours for coffee to be slowly brewed in a pretty vessel, the Bruer Kyoto-style cool brew maker is a worthy investment. But we wouldn’t recommend it for those who want an effortless way to make great cool brew concentrate.
Kaffé KF9040 Cool Brew Coffee Maker
The up-to-date Kaffé KF9040 Cool Brew Coffee Maker, an infusion-style model, is made of glass, plastic, and silicone to resemble a high wine bottle. It comes with the simplest of instructions (printed only on the box), so we used our favorite coffee-to-water formula, with decent results. That said, the experience overall left us pretty frustrated: we poured the entire contents of one batch in our fridge because we found the silicone screw-on lid wasn’t as airtight! We’re also concerned that the white silicone will discolor and deteriorate over time.
Kaffé KF9020 Cool Brew Coffee Maker
Not to be confused with the Kaffé KF9040, the Kaffé KF9020 Cool Brew Coffee Maker is an infusion-type model with a lid, Is completely sealed, and the shatterproof glass is lightweight and powerful. The filter system uses a fine-mesh material (rather than molded perforated steel), which is arguably better at filtering out all the solid coffee residue, although we still had some sand in our brew. The printed instructions were also a bit too vague, especially compared to clearly labeled models like the Oxo.
Coffee Gator Cool Brewer
The Coffee Gator Cool Brewer is very similar to the Kaffé KF9020 (possibly from the same manufacturer, since some of the parts are almost spit-like, including the fine-mesh filter). We liked the detailed and thorough instructions, as well as extras like the collapsible funnel for adding grounds to the filter and the handy stainless steel spoon. But the coffee itself wasn’t anything special.
TIMEMORE Ice Drip Coffee Maker (Currently sold out)
TIMEMORE, maker of one of our favorite coffee scales, has a cool brew coffee maker with a compact design and a dial to adjust the drip rate. Assembly is fairly straightforward, but the instructions are vague, with no recommended coffee-to-water ratio. Our first test ended in a puddle of frail coffee that spilled all over the counter (too many grounds, we suppose). But after a few more rounds and more familiarity with the coffee, we were able to make adjustments and brew polished, satisfying cups. We can’t fully recommend it because of the trial and error involved in achieving this, but for those who prefer an ice-drip-style coffee maker, TIMEMORE is an economical choice.
Primula Burke Deluxe Cool Brew Iced Coffee Make
We couldn’t wait to try the jug style Primula Burke Deluxe Cold Brew Iced Coffee Espresso (And not just because we got to choose the colors.) Like most of the machines we tested, it’s an infusion-style cool brewer with a fine filter suspended in the water. We liked the borosilicate glass jug and its protective silicone casing, and we also appreciated that the bottom of the filter unscrews for effortless cleaning. Ultimately, though, the coffee was insipid. After the obligatory tasting, we didn’t feel like drinking more.
County Line Kitchen Cool Brewer
Cuisinart Automatic Cool Brew Coffee Maker
This Cuisinart Automatic Cold Brew Coffee Maker is a cool brew device that speeds up the standard method by spinning the ground coffee in a centrifuge for 25-45 minutes (depending on the intensity chosen) and then filtering the brew into a glass jug below. This Unitasker was unimpressive, with a bitter and gloomy brew that still lacked flavour despite using the ‘bold’ setting. In fact, it made fresh beans taste stale and was no match for other cool brew devices in our range. Furthermore, the device had too many parts to set up and spotless to encourage everyday operate.
Cool Brew Coffee Filter Filtron
The Filtron Cool Brew Coffee Filter is one of the originals in the cool brew world and is still highly recommended, especially among baristas. The basic design is similar to the original Oxo, but it is a bit taller and bulkier, with more tiny parts to keep track of. Ultimately, we became fans of the polished, neutral brew it produced, but we didn’t find the flavor to be any deeper or more refined than the cool brew from the original Oxo.
Toddy Cool Brew System
This Toddy Cold Brew System is another classic cool brewer (named for its creator, Todd Simpson). It’s similar in design to the Filtron and Oxo. It produced a polished, spotless brew that was even better when double-filtered with an optional paper insert — but we were put off by the multitude of parts, including the tiny rubber stopper and the plush, reusable flannel filter, which, according to Internet rumors and anecdotal reports from friends, tends to mold over time if not meticulously spotless (or stored in the freezer). The white plastic reservoir where the ground beans collect also seemed prone to staining.
BOD Cool Brew System
We found a lot of things we liked BOD Cold Brew System: the compact hourglass shape, the effortless assembly and instructions, and the nice, balanced concentrate it produced. However, we eventually eliminated it after a few minor leak issues and a somewhat tedious cleaning process.
Ovalware Cool Brew Coffee Maker
This Ovalware Cold Brew Coffee Maker has an attractively minimalist design — it’s simply a borosilicate glass jug that houses a slim 18/8 stainless steel filter and is topped with a rubber cap. We appreciated its slim profile and modest height, which makes it effortless to fit in the fridge. However, its drink was a bit grainier than the competition’s, and while the included lid is advertised as airtight, in practice it was a bit looser than others we tested, which gave us pause when thinking about long-term storage.
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